Owly - You make a good point about accessory lifts. Anything can have its place in a program if it is part of the overall goal. I'd even include exercises that make you feel good in there.

Wait, people do exercises because they make them feel good? That's crazy talk! Next thing you'll be telling me workouts can be fun. Then what will happen to all of my self-flagellation in the weight room?

I have an article coming up in Outdoor Fitness magazine here in the UK on the planes of motion (Sagittal, Frontal and Transverse) and how they can be used to develop strength and stability. As soon as the article is out I'll do a post about it and then share it here (or you can pick it up in most newsagents).

Do you know if that's available outside the UK? I'm wondering if I can find it in Canada.

“If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive.” --Audre Lorde

I don't plank, but I do lots of other things where my core is actively engaged, if I didn't, I would plank... but I shudder to think of what my workout routine would look like... eek.

I find sandbag zercher squats absolutely brutal on my abs, and I do lots of hollow body holds whenever I train handstands and those are very core intensive so yeah, if I didn't do those things, I would plank.

What you wrote seems spot on. Planks are fun and all, but my abs are the sorest after doing exercises like standing overhead press or dead lifts. I hold a plank position then move my hips side to side and up and down a bit, sort of like a slow "hump" motion, and the same thing on side planks (moving hips towards the ground, then up above parallel, then front to back). I notice that those sort of movements activate the muscles in ways that a static plank never will. What do you think about those movements, and what other plank variations do you incorporate to get better real-world transference?

I plank and have my students plank in yoga (we do a high plank rather than elbows to get started, and it's hard enough for a lot of people). my first goal with most people is to get them standing up properly. It can take months, building up the requisite body awareness and various strengths and flexibilities to develop truly good posture such that you would start moving into deeper back-bending movements.

I am just wondering if you hold the same opinion about the side plank as the straight plank?

I don't expect to stop doing planks simply because I like those few moments of perfect stillness in my stretching routine and the coming up of the shake as the body responds to the isometrics, but I was wondering if you see a benefit from side planks or they are for kicks as well?

Did you read the post? I see benefit in planks, I just don't hold them in the esteemed regard that many others do.

With regards to the side plank - it's just another exercise as far as I'm concerned. If it delivers the desired goal then it's a great choice.

What you wrote seems spot on. Planks are fun and all, but my abs are the sorest after doing exercises like standing overhead press or dead lifts. I hold a plank position then move my hips side to side and up and down a bit, sort of like a slow "hump" motion, and the same thing on side planks (moving hips towards the ground, then up above parallel, then front to back). I notice that those sort of movements activate the muscles in ways that a static plank never will. What do you think about those movements, and what other plank variations do you incorporate to get better real-world transference?

You raise a good point - strict static positions are not that common in real life. Anything that requires you to maintain a good postural position under load and/or movement would generally have good transference. Also, actively reducing stability (while working to maintain stability) by taking away a point of balance can be pretty effective - single leg/single arm planks work well.